SNMMI Supports NIH Funding

May 19, 2017

Background

The Federal Government is operating on a continuing resolution that expires on April 28. The president has proposed dramatic reductions in the budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the remainder of 2017 and for 2018. For the remainder of this year, the president has proposed a $1.2 billion cut (nearly 4%), and for 2018 the president has proposed a $5.8 billion (nearly 20 percent)

These cuts would reduce the NIH’s budget to below its 2003 level. Cuts like these far exceeds the sequestration cuts NIH absorbed in 2013. The proposal also contradicts the intent of the bipartisan $2 billion increase Congress provided to NIH in FY 2016 and a similar amount approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee last summer.

Because research usually takes many years, these cuts mean that the NIH will not be able to start or fund new research (unless it cancels ongoing studies).

SNMMI Letter to Congress

SNMMI joined with many other physician groups in a letter to House leaders supporting increases in NIH funding. A copy of that letter is here.

Congress Responds

In response the concerns that we and many others raised, more than two hundred members of Congress signed a letter to House leadership supporting increased funding to NIH.

Member Call to Action

Congress returns to Washington on April 24, and we will be asking SNMMI members to contact their members of Congress and encourage them to support the NIH.